Bangladesh, April 6 -- For decades, the United States has raised concerns about Europes underwhelming commitment to defense spending. The issue has long simmered beneath the surface of NATO deliberations, occasionally flaring up when American administrations lose patience. During Donald Trumps first presidential term, the critique grew into a near-constant drumbeat. Trumps rhetoric was direct and often dismissive of NATO as a whole, pushing European nations to contribute their fair share or risk losing US support. Now, in his second term, with global instability deepening and US foreign policy once again in flux, the issue has taken on new urgency.

The basic facts are clear: for most of the post-Cold War era, European NATO members have s...